Savor or Relish of Zazen and Karate

坐禅は，「上達する」ものではない。坐れば即，それは坐禅である。もちろん，足の組み方，腰の据え方，腰の位置や向き，呼吸のスピードやリズムや深み，上体の形やこわばりや傾き，筋肉や骨の位置や向きなど，誰しも坐禅をしながら試行錯誤を続ける点では，上手い下手があるかもしれない。しかし，坐禅の本質に上手い下手はない。あるのは，坐禅の味わいの違いである。坐禅は，毎回坐る度にその味わいは異なる。諸行は無常である。今日の坐禅と同じ坐禅はこれまでもまたこれからも，一つとてない。空手も同じである。身体操作の試行錯誤という点では上手い下手はあるけれども，空手をすれば即，それは空手である。毎回稽古をする度にその味わいが異なる。だから，昨日の稽古の味わいと，今日の稽古の味わいが違っていて当然であり，またその違いを楽しむのが空手である。

Zazen is not what you "improve." When you sit, what you do is immediately zazen. Of course, there are levels of mastering (i.e., good or bad zazen) in that everyone continues to do trial and error while practicing zazen, such as the way of crossing legs, the way of placing koshi (waist and hips, or lower back), the position and direction of koshi, the speed, rhythm, and  depth of breathing, the shape, stiffness, and lean of upper body, the position and direction of muscles and bones, and so on. But, there are no levels in terms of the essence of practicing zazen. The differences of savor or relish of zazen are there. The savor or relish of zazen varies on each time you sit. Everything in the world is changing. There have never been and will never be the same zazen as today's one in the past and future. This fact is equivalent to the one in karate. Certainly there are varying degrees of skills since you practice karate through the process of trial and error in body manipulation. But, when you practice karate, what you do is immediately karate. The savor or relish of karate varies on each time you practice karate. Then, it is natural that the savor of yesterday's practice is different from the today's one, and it is karate that is enjoying the difference.